LESLIE ABRAMS: YO SOY CANDLE
Read below for the interview we did with Leslie Abrams about her brand Yo Soy Candle. Yo Soy Candle is a handmade, eco-conscious, affirmation candle and apparel company based in Portland, Oregon, owned and operated by the incredible Leslie Abrams.
What inspired you to start your business?
I’ve been an entrepreneur my whole life so starting businesses isn’t a new thing. In 2010, I was working a full time job as an independent contractor and was getting burnt out. I had reached as high as I could climb at my place of employment. I was going through my Saturn Return and was making a lot of changes. Having looked up options for yoga training, I quit my job and began an intensive program in Costa Rica. This was so impactful on my life I often refer to my life in two parts, before and after yoga teacher training.
Throughout the year, I started really tapping into affirmations and emotional, mental patterns. Affirmations are a huge part of this for me. It’s about setting an intention. I AM. This evolved and I progressed into the I AM yoga teacher.
I had always planned on starting a business from home and many clients from my prior job had followed me. It was during the holidays that I wanted to gift these clients by making candles in travel tins. The clients liked them so much and wanted to find out where they could obtain more. Between the community and the demand, candle making kept coming back into my life.
What’s the brand’s philosophy?
We offer a simple and unique product that is clean burning, waste reducing and invites the user to a space of self-worth, peace and empowerment.
“self-worth, peace and empowerment”
What makes Yo Soy Candle different?
The I AM on each scent and our mission to empower through affirmations. Everyone knows what a candle is but this candle’s primary mission is to empower through affirmation. Our scents are really clean and unique. They embody the enjoyment of being at home, nostalgia and things that people haven’t experienced before. We create unique combinations.
How did you learn how to make candles?
This was before YouTube existed (remember that?) and it was before how you can watch things online. I got myself a little candle kit and it gave me a simple pamphlet with steps to follow. The rest of my ability to create candles is self-taught. It’s one of those things that I never struggled with. It came easy for me. There are a lot of different choices and it’s like chemistry, testing and trying over and over.
What advice do you have for other female-identified business owners?
Something that has worked for me is to put your whole heart into it. Do it for others and think about the customer.
Who is inspirational to you at this time in your life?
Amazing female small business owners and the community. I want to give a shout out to Rachel O’Rourke of Spark and Erin Vanderkooy from POWER for creating such a strong, vibrant, authentic and vulnerable space for women to be seen and heard.
“Everyone wants to be seen and heard in life and in business.”
What’s your most popular scent right now?
I AM ABUNDANT, which is cinnamon, bourbon and vanilla.
Anything else you would like to share?
Something that’s helped me down the line as a successful women was finding my community and offering my support whenever I can. Everyone wants to be seen and heard in life and in business and you should do the same for others in life and business.